These ratings are good enough to cinch the Top Safety Pick recognition—also achieved by the Rogue and Sentra in our lineup—but the Altima scored that extra “+” at the end by earning a “Superior” rating for front crash prevention when equipped with the optional Forward Emergency Braking, giving it the Top Safety Pick Plus award.

When a front collision is imminent, the system alerts the driver; if the driver fails to respond, the system can even apply the brakes to mitigate or entirely avoid the crash. This is just one of the many safety features available on the 2016 Nissan Altima. Explore them all at Bates Nissan!

Whether you’re trying to save the planet or just a couple bucks at the pump, increasing your fuel efficiency is always a good idea. From under the hood to behind the wheel, there are plenty of ways to make your ride more efficient; here’s our quick list of easy efficiency tips to help you get where you’re going for less:

Make sure you’re at the proper tire pressure. Adjusting your tire pressure to the correct PSI once a month can up your efficiency up to 3%.

If you notice any issues with your vehicle, fix them ASAP. Getting a tune-up to right those little problems can give improve your efficiency up to 4%. If you’re experiencing a serious issue, fixing it can save you a whopping 40% in terms of gas mileage.

Hard braking and extreme acceleration can destroy your efficiency. Drive slow and smart and you’ll get about 33% further on the freeway.

Similarly, use your cruise control on the highway when possible. Keeping your car at a steady pace will save you fuel.

It’s safety sweeps season for the auto industry, and Nissan is cleaning up nicely!

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is one of the foremost rating organizations in America. When it comes to safety, their word is law. Luckily for Nissan (and Nissan drivers), four Nissan models have received IIHS Top Safety ratings.

The Top Safety Pick+ is the highest honor of all the IIHS Top Safety ratings, and two Nissans took this title home: the 2016 Nissan Maxima and the 2016 Nissan Murano. These sedans are going to be big deals next year!

Just below Top Safety Pick+ is the Top Safety Pick. Two more Nissans scored this award: the 2016 Nissan Rogue SUV and the 2016 Nissan Sentra.

To earn a Top Safety Pick rating, a vehicle must score “Good” or better in all five of the IIHS’s crashworthiness categories. To earn that ultimate plus-sign, a vehicle must also earn an “Advanced” or “Superior” rating for front crash prevention.

Nissan sales are better than ever thanks to the popularity of the Murano, Rogue, and Sentra. So far, this year has seen a 5.7% increase in sales, especially because of the record-breaking April numbers.

According to Nissan, the Rogue sales were up 44.5% this year, which is nothing compared to the 72.9% increase in Murano sales. Why are these models so popular? Since global demand for SUVs has steadily risen over the past couple of years, customers appreciate the affordability and quality of vehicles like the Rogue and Murano.

The Sentra, on the other hand, has been steadily rising to the top of sales over the past few years. This model is incredibly practical, especially because it’s fuel efficiency and affordable price. The Sentra is popular among younger generations who are looking for a sporty, yet useful car to drive in town or on the highway.

Whether you want something to take you from point A to point B or you want something that can hit the trails without difficulty, the 2015 Nissan lineup is for you. It’s no wonder the 2015 Nissan Sales are so incredible so far.

Nissan production is healthier than ever right now—and, in fact, the brand’s Mexican assembly plant in Aguascalientes recently hit a production milestone of 200,000 vehicles. The A2 manufacturing complex recently shipped a Nissan Sentra SR to Chicago—the 200,000th vehicle to roll off the line. There’s actually two plants in the complex, and each of them can produce a Sentra in under a minute.

With that sort of efficiency and production, it’s no wonder that the Aguascalientes plant posts such impressive numbers now. It’s also a subset of Nissan’s overall production health right now. “Nissan Mexicana is considered the benchmark for the brand in the world,” Airton Cousseau, head of Nissan’s Mexican operations, said. “It’s No. 1 in production [in Mexico] and the first in exports, more than in Japan.”

In fact, the brand hopes to make up to 1 million vehicles per year in Mexico once 2017 rolls around. Fortunately, much of that production feeds into the American market, so come see us at Bates Nissan today to learn more about all these great vehicles!

The 2015 Nissan Sentra has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick Award, thanks to a number of structural improvements made this year along with a robust suite of advanced safety features.

IIHS’s Top Safety Pick Award recognizes vehicles that do exceptionally well in the moderate overlap front, roof strength, side, and head restraint tests. It also requires that the vehicle earn a “Good” or “Acceptable” rating in the small overlap frontal test. The Nissan Sentra earned the best-possible score of “Good” on all five tests.

Nissan has modified the Sentra’s front structure, including the A-pillar and doorsill, helping the compact car to achieve its “Good” rating in the new and difficult small overlap frontal test. In addition, standard features include Nissan’s Advanced Air Bag System, Anti-lock Braking System, Brake force Distribution and Brake Assist, front and rear crumple zones, energy absorbing steering column, among others.

“Nissan is committed to safety and innovation, and Nissan is proud to achieve the IIHS Top Safety Pick rating for the 2015 Sentra,” said Fred Diaz, senior vice president, Nissan Sales & Marketing and Operations U.S., Nissan North America in a statement. “As a compact sedan, Sentra is a critically important vehicle in Nissan’s lineup and with its standard safety features we’re bringing a high level of safety and security to a growing consumer segment.”

Here at Bates Nissan, we think the Nissan Sentra’s safety scores are a testament to Nissan’s continued commitment to building safe vehicles. Stop by today to learn more about the incredibly safe Nissan Sentra!

There’s nothing wrong with inspiring yourself. I mean, you can’t always rely on others to do it for you! This is the lesson we can take from Nissan. They recently decided to freshen up the look of the Nissan Sentra, Altima and Versa lines. For this improvement, they took cues from their own work – that is, the refresh they gave their 2015 Nissan Murano and 2016 Nissan Maxima.

The move they are making is towards “sportier” models. The change is intended to help the Sentra, Altima and Versa stay competitive while Nissan works on full changes to these models.

That adjective, “sporty,” has raised some eyebrows in the automobile community. That’s because many times a move towards sporty means sacrificing space and comfort. But not this time, says Shiro Nakamuro, Nissan’s design chief: “We have the most roomy hatchback or sedan in the segment, so we don’t want to throw away our strengths.”

We at Bates Nissan are well aware of these strengths. Stop by for a test drive and let us introduce them to you today!

After a great summer of sales for the automotive industry all around, Nissan is continuing their upward trend with improved sales during September as well. The Nissan Group September sales showed that the Rogue, LEAF, and others are still on the rise.

In total, Nissan Group September Sales reached 102,955, an 18.5% increase from 2013. Nissan Division sales, which excludes Infiniti sales, was at 95,118 units in September, an increase of 22.2% over last year.

Many vehicles in the Nissan lineup saw an increase in popularity and purchases last month including the Rogue, LEAF, Versa, Sentra, Altima, Frontier, and Murano. Some of these vehicles also set records for their model. Check it out:

The Nissan Murano (pictured above) saw a 50% increase in sales for the month of September.

Nissan Group September Sales

Altima – 21,675 units sold, +2.1%

Frontier – 6,853 units sold, +47%

LEAF – 2,881 units sold, +47.5% (September Record)

Murano – +50%

Rogue – 17,229 units sold, +51.8% (September Record)

Sentra – 12,557 units sold, +61%

Versa – 12,072 units sold, +37.6% (September Record)

Were you part of the amazing September sales that the Nissan Group had? If so, let us know in the comment box which vehicle you purchased. If not, then hopefully you want to be a part of future sales and record setting results. Bates Nissan can help with that. Just check out our huge selection of inventory and find a Nissan that fits your needs!

Nissan has announced new all-time production and Nissan sales records for the month of April. Global production increased by 5.4 percent year-on-year to 418,124 units and global sales increased 12.6 percent year-on-year to 410,264 units.

A big chunk of these numbers came from the United States, where production increased 22.2 percent year-on-year to 77,877 units, also marking a new all-time record for April thanks to increased demand for the new Nissan Rogue.

United States sales increased 18.3 percent year-on-year to 103,934 units for yet another all-time April record, making it one of Nissan’s most successful and fastest-growing markets. Sales were driven primarily by the high demand for the Nissan Altima, Sentra, and the new Rogue.

The 2014 Nissan Rogue is an all-new model that takes the crossover experience to new heights. It offers 70.0 cubic feet of versatile cargo space, Top Safety Pick+ safety with Forward Collision Warning, and a powerful yet economical engine. Find it at Bates Nissan!